Marking-machine.



No. 810,468. vPATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

G. W. GOPFMAN.

MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15,1904.

I ttornegs.

1 A UNrTiiD STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAMSON OOFFMAN, lor Sr. LOUIS, MissouruA MARKING-MACHINE.

I/ Specification yof Letters Patent.

Patented lJan, 23, 1906.

.Application tiled April 1551904. Serial No. 203.369.

l of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to marking-machines, and -particularly to one adapted for use in addressing shipping cases and parcels, for printing display-cards, notices, signs, price-tickets, bulletins, &c., for marking merchandise of various kinds, and for emlployment for any other purpose where it will e ound applicable and advantageous.

The obj ect of the invention is to `present a machine of this character which shall combine great simplicity of construction, high efciency and durability in use, and which will not require especial training on the part of the operator to manipulate it.

With the above and other objectsin view,

l as will appear as the nature of the invention rious novel details of construction and combination of parts of a marking-machine, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of embodiment ofthe invention capable of carrying the same into practical Operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of the machine taken from the rear. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical transverse section taken. through the center of the machine. Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of a-portion of the carriage, the type-Wheel being removed. Fig, 4 is a'detail view of the carriage-feed dog. Fig. 5 isa detached detail view of aportion of the feed-rack.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the base of the machine, which Inay be constructed of any suitable material, preferably .of wood, and of any desired size to meet different requirements that may arise. Upon f the base 1s a track-bed 2, which consists in this instance of a sheet of metal having upturned ends 3, that are oriiiced to receive Athe carriage-track 4, which consists of a bar of metal circular in cross-section and combined at its'terminals in any .preferred manner with the ends of the track-bed. Secured to the front edge of the base is the feed-rack 5, which consists of a strip. of metal provided with teeth 6l of a contour to cause the carriage to move to the right at each operation ofthe type-wheel, presently to be described.

Mounted upon the track 4 is the carriage (designated generally 7) and comprising a sheet of metal rovided with downturned flanges 8, throng the lower ends of which pass the carriage-track 4. The rear end of the carriage is provided with 'a downturned flan 9, that is adapted to bear upon the traclr-bed, and thus limit the upward movement of the carriage, the forward end of the carriage being rovided with an upstanding vflange 10, to w ich is connectedin any suitable manner, as by being riveted thereto, a plate 11, which constitutes a type-wheel carrier and `has its upper portion furnished with a pointer 12, that operates in the usual manner to determine when the 'proper type hasbeen brought to, position to make an imprint. The-carriage is held normally elevated or in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a locking-dog 13, which consists of a sheet of metal bent to present side flanges 14, that are vheld combined with the ianges '8 of the carriage by a pin 15, which extends through bothl of the flanges. Upon the pin is mounted a coiled spring 16, the terminals 17 and 18 of which` bear, respectively, against the under sidel ofthe carriage and the upper side of the dog and serve to held the carriage-elevated and the dog in positive engagement with the base, thus tolock the carriage against lateral movement which would interfere with the proper operation of the type, thespring 16 thus subserving the double functionv of a carriage-lifting and a loclring-dogactuating element, The plate 11 extends-down below the carriage and is bent to -present a "channel or trough 17', in which the periphery of the IOO , printing will be -ositi`vely obviated. 1l The- `t e-wheel 18 is disposed, the lower wall of t 1e trough being provided with a slot' or o'rific'e 19, through which the printing-type 20 -Will project. Secured in this instance tothe under side of, the trough 17 is a shield 2102.;

terminalsof the s ield have combined with them inking-pads 21, which may b-constructec of any snitaible material, generally of felt, and are heldin position by fo ding the ends of the shields upon themselves and then securing the pads in the crotches thus formed, as by rivets 22. This form of inking attachment is exceedingly 'simple o'f construction and Will'be found thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed, and owing to the yielding manner in which it is sup orted rapid wearing away of the type, ,whic will gener- -ally be of rubber, 'is positively prevented. The t e ma be of any desired 'number and general willrinclude the alphabet, the numorals tion-marks, and the dollar and cent marks.v The type-wheel (shown more clearly in, Fig: 2) is a dish-sha ed structure, to the peri hery or rim of W ich the type are attache in any preferred manner, as. by being cemented thereto. Around the rear face of the typewheel and adjacent to its periphery the printing characters are duplicated,- thus to enable the operator to brin thev proper ty e over the printing-opening inthe shield. O course it will be understood that a character on the rear face of the type-wheel `will necessarily refer to a character diametrically opposite it--that is to say, if the letter A 1s to be printed this character on the face of thety ewheel will be at the top,'while diametrica ly beneath will be the printin -ty -e A. In order to center the type witfii relation to the ol ening in the,shield and also to preclude shifting of the wheel in the act of printing, a type centering and wheel locking disk 23 is employed which is rigidly combined with the type-wheel and comprises a circular plate of metal having its periphery formed with approximately a exiform teeth 23', that are'designed to inter ock with a stud24, carried by the lower )ortion of the plate 11. The interlocking ofI the teeth of the disk 23with the stud 2 Lis secured by means ofthe shank 25 of the wheel-operating knob 26, the shank being mounted l'or limited vertical 4Inovement in a slot 26 inthe late, the knob being held combined with t e type-wheel-by a mit 27. r'lhe disk 23 is norma ly held raised with its teeth out of engagement with the sind by a spring 28, having one end secured in any suitable manner to the flange 1() of the carriage and its other end looped around the om 1 to 0, a setof punctua-.

i any one of a series 'o'f orifices .37,

the track-bed 2', the rearl end of the lover beknob-shank, as clearly shownain Fig. -1. lhis limited vertical movement of the type-wheel not only elif( its fits )ositive locking against turning by coaetion etween the disk 23 and .stud 24, but also cpuscsthe type to be p rQ- jected through the slo`t or oriiice in the shield' of the type-Wheel comprises a feed-dog 29,IA which is approximately L-shaped'in elevation and is pivoted at. 30 to the lower portion of theplate 11, a coilcdspring 31, connected with the 'upper end of the dog and with one of the fiang'es 8 ofthe carriage, serving to hold Ithe'said end always in enga ement with, the under side of the carriage, t ie length of `the vertical'inember beingsuch that' when it is in engagement with the carriage its' toe cr lower member 32 will occupy aniangu'la-r pesition relatively 'to the teeth of the feed-rack. (in the initial depression of the type-wheel the toe of the dog will engage one of the teeth of the feed-rack and upon continued down- Wfard.- de vression or movement of the typew-heel will force the carriage laterally a space equal to one of the type, this operation taking'place as each character is printed and in advance of the impression.

Asta means for guiding. the operator in `printing the characters in a straight line a gage '33 is combined with thefront of the base and isi-n the naturao'f a wire bail, secured in position in any preferred manner. f In the use ofthe machine when a new line is to be started the. whole machine is moved toward the operator a sufficient distance to bring the page inline with the lbwer edge of the last ine printed, and when thus adjusted accurate alinement of the Work will. besecured.

IOS

To effect spacingof one word from another,-

the carriage is partly depressed, and the dog by. eoaction with the feed-rack will move the carriage as many spaees'a's may be desired, the spring,l 28 'serving' to hoid the -printing characters above the face of the shield'20.

It is a desideratum in machines of this character` to make'it possible to space narrow and wide letters so that they will be an equal distance apart, and to effect this result .IIO

in the present machine there isa lever 34 rovided, which is pivoted.intermcdiate`o its ends to thebase and has its forward end dis- ,posed in. a notch 35 in the feed-rack., At a point near the rear endoffthe leveris a pintle or offset 36, which is designed to engage with fiirmed in rack slightly to the left and allows thelever to print closer to the preceding one. By moving the end of the lever to bring the oil'- set into engagement with one orifice to the right oi that normally occupied the next letter printed Will be spaced a distance from the letter I equal to that of the preceding letter. For printing extra- Wide letters, like .Mf or W, it.will be necessary to move the lever to the left tothe vfirst orifice, thus causing the feed-rack to be moved a slight distanceto the right, and thereby increasing the space for the 'letter to be printed. While the'emplo'ym'ent of this device is of advantage, it is to 'be understood that it may be used or not at the pleasure of the o erator; but as it ',Will render the machine a aptable for printing'artistic display-cardsits use will generally be found advantageous.`

vWhile the 'type-Wheel is herein shown as provided only with capital letters,vit is to be understood that, if preferred, it may also be provided with small letters, and as this will be apparent detailed illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that although'the machine of this invention is exceedingly simple of construction it combines in a feasible and practical manner all of the elements necessary to eil'ect rapid printing for lthe purposes designed, and moreover, by the manner in Which the parts are eonstri'icted and 'combined danger ol" derangemeii't and breakage in Vuse is reduced to a minimum;

Having thus described .the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a marking-machine, a vibratory carriage supporting printing mechanism, a carriageloeking dog, and a spring operating to lift the carriageand abtuate the dog. y

2. In a marking-machine, a vibratory carriage supporting printing mechanism, a lock- -ing-dog combined therewith, and a spring operatingto liltthelcarriage and to actuate the dog.

3. k'In anni' king-machine, a vibratory car# riage supporting printing mechanism, a carriage-locking dog pivotally combined therewidth, and a spring'having outWard-diverging terminals to engage respectively with the carrie eand with the dog.

*z 4. n a marking-machine, a vibratory car- In order toY to correspond with' riagev supporting printing mechanism, a bar carried thereby,a carriage-locking dog hinged Yupon the bar, and a coiled spring mounted uponthe bar and having its terminals bearing respectivelyagainst the under side of the carriage' and fthe upper side of the locking-h dog. i

5. In a marking vmachine, a track-bed, a

carriage supported o vcr the track-bed for longitudinal and: vibratoryA movements, a ilanve carried by the rear end oi the carriage, a loching-dog'c'ombined with the carriage, and a spring operating to actuate the locking-dog and to lift the carriage therebyto bring the flange into engagement with the track-bed to lock the carriage against movement;

6. In 'a marking-machine, a carriage provided With downturned flanges at its sides and `one'end, a bar passing through the side flanges, a locking-dog hinged upon the bar, and a spring having coils engaging the bar and its terminals in engagement with the under side of the carriage and the upper side of the dog, and operating normally to hold the dog and terminal flange in engagement with the base portion of the machine.

7. In a marking-machine, a vibratory carriage, a plate disposed at an angle thereto and provided with a slot and with a pointer, a type-Wheel having its shank mounted in the slot, a typecentering and ty e -Wheellocking disk carried by the typeheel, and a stud carried by the plate to engage With the disk`to lock it against rotation.

8. In a marking-machine, the combination with a base of a vibratory carriage for supportinor a type-wheel, a feed-rack combined with tzliebase, a lever fulcrumed upon the base and having one end in engagement With the feed-rack to effect shifting thereof thus to Vary the point of imprint. of the type, and means for locking the lever at any desired adjustment.

9. In a marking-machine, a base a vibra- .tory carriage combined therewith and supporting a type-Wheel, a feed-rack combined for longitudinal movement with the base, and a lever fulcrumcd upon the base and having one terminal in engagement with the feedrack, and its otherterminalfurnished with an ollset to interlock With suitable orifices in the base to hold the feed-rack at any desired adjustment.

10. In a marking-machine,the combination with a vibratory' carriage, of a plate provided near its upper portion with a slot, and near its lower portion with a trough providedvwith an oriice, a type-Wheel carried by the plate and adapted to have its type projected though the orifice in the trough, a shield having an orifice registering With that of the trough, said shield being provided with ilexible exteib sions, and yieldable ipking-pads carried by the extensions.

1 1. In a marking-machine, the combination IOO IIO

IIS

'-Ward pressure thereon,v L type-centering and -lnoved'to the lower end of the slot.

with a vibratory carriage, oi' a plate combined therewith and provided with a slo'tSr v a type-wheel having its shank projected throuwh the slot and provided with anoperating mob, a spring carried .hy the plate and engaging the knobsh:ink sind exerting up typeswheoldocking disk rigid with thel type- Wheel, anda stud carried by the late to coactwith the teeth of the disk to ho d the |157 pe.- Wheel againstl rotation when its shankis 121. The combination with n'bnse, of a t1aek-hed, a track carried thereby, a vibratory carriage supported upon the track and rovided with a stop ooncting with. the tracklied to limit the upward movement of the oar-- riige, a springressod dog; combined with the carriage and) coaeting with the hase to look the former against' lateral movement, a

elenient having shankl projected through the slotQ-a perforated shield disposed below the printing el'einent and Carrying inkingmeehlmismI a stud carried by "the plete, a toothed disk' combined witlnthe printing element and designed to enga-ge the stud to look-the printingelenient against rotation during the print: un,r operation, means for returnlng the print ing element to its normal position0 after the irintinv" o eration and means for returninU C f D the Carriage to its normal osition,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signeture in the presence of two Witnesses.

l GEORGE WILLIAMSON COFFM. Witnesses:

H. G. TIFF-Am;

C. C. CRAiG. 

